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Adopted grandson of late Senator gets four years for forcing minor into prostitution

Sage Finestone, the adopted grandson of late Liberal senator Sheila Finestone was sentenced to four years in jail for forcing a 14-year-old girl to work as a prostitute and have sex with dozens of men. (HANDOUT)

The adopted grandson of late Liberal senator Sheila Finestone was sentenced to four years in jail for forcing a 14-year-old girl to work as a prostitute and have sex with dozens of men.

However, in sentencing Sage Finestone, Justice Mara Greene found the minimum five-year sentence for human trafficking of a minor — as dictated by the Criminal Code — was unconstitutional.

As a lower court judge, her ruling about the minimum sentence only applies to this case — and does not have far-reaching implications.

The victim’s “innocence and childhood were taken away from her. While her identity was protected (by a publication ban), people in her community knew about the offence,” said Greene. “She has suffered and continues to suffer from the public nature of her victimization.”

When Finestone pleaded guilty to human trafficking in June, court heard the teenager said she felt “like a hostage” as she serviced up to 30 men over five days in February 2015.

She received none of the thousands of dollars the men paid. Finestone and escort-girlfriend Natasha Robitaille pocketed all her earnings.

Robitaille, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving benefit from prostitution and will be sentenced in April.

“Finestone has taken tremendous steps to develop awareness about the impact of his behaviour and the negative effects of pimping and prostitution generally,” stated Greene.

She said pimps rarely take such steps to improve their lives and Finestone “should be credited for this.”

The judge deducted five weeks from his four-year sentence for time Finestone has already served behind bars.

Crown attorney Debra Moskovitz said Finestone engaged in a “predatory, dehumanizing and parasitic act” against the runaway from a group home, who was invited to party with Robitaille and Finestone on Feb. 21, 2015.

The next day, Finestone booked a hotel room where the victim worked “as a prostitute both day and night.

“She was doing all the work to pay off everyone’s room and expenses,” said Moskovitz.

Finestone, who had no prior criminal record, was adopted as a newborn by two highly educated professional, loving parents, his lawyer said. Senator Sheila Finestone died in 2009.